The Federal Government has ordered the immediate shutdown of all areas covered by Mining Licence 11810 in the Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State, following a tragic incident in which dozens of artisanal miners were killed by toxic gas.
The disaster occurred at a mining pit in Zurak, within the Wase LGA, where villagers had reportedly been extracting minerals. An unconfirmed number of persons died after being exposed to poisonous emissions, with local sources putting the death toll at 37.
According to a statement by the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development on Wednesday, the licence is operated by Solid Unit Nigeria Limited, a firm owned by Abdullahi Dan-China. Preliminary findings indicate that the company had ceded the specific pit where the incident occurred to the community to mine, following agitations by villagers for empowerment.
Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has since dispatched a team of officials and investigators to the scene, led by the Permanent Secretary, Yusuf Yabo. The team includes experts in mining, environmental compliance, and artisanal cooperatives.
“The minister is coordinating the team and the support services to ensure effective management of the situation,” a statement signed by the Special Assistant on Media to the minister, Segun Tomori, read in part.
Investigations revealed that the area was an abandoned lead site, with the stored mineral prone to emissions of sulphuric oxide. Unaware of the poisonous nature of the emissions, the villagers reportedly engaged in extraction while inhaling the gaseous substance.
In a condolence call to Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, Minister Alake sympathised with the government and people of the state over the loss of the innocent citizens who died while trying to earn a living.
The minister promised to make further disclosures as investigations continue, adding that the probe would look into the remote and immediate causes of the incident and recommend appropriate sanctions.
The Wase Youth Leader, Shafi Sambo, described the horror of the incident in a phone interview. “It happened at a mining site in Company Zurak, Wase Local Government. We got information that the miners dug deep into the ground and were exposed to a gas that killed 37 of them instantly,” Sambo said.
He stated that several other miners were rescued alive and rushed to nearby hospitals for urgent medical attention, though the exact number of survivors remains unclear as of press time.
Sambo disclosed that the youths were mining zinc on behalf of a company said to be a Chinese-owned mining firm operating in the area.
The tragedy has sparked renewed concerns over unsafe mining practices and weak regulation in the country’s artisanal mining sector.
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